• Always swim or boat with a buddy;
• Stay within arms’ reach of young children at all times;
• Swim in designated areas supervised by lifeguards when possible;
• Always wear lifejackets when boating or for children playing in or around the water; and
• Avoid alcohol while participating in aquatic activities.

• Ages 5 and under: Lifejacket colouring contest
• Ages 6 to 10: Design a lifejacket safety sticker

The post Town Of Bracebridge Promotes Water Safety During National Drowning Prevention Week appeared first on Muskoka411.

Even in a typical winter, the ice around hydroelectric facilities is often much thinner than it appears, due to changing water flows and conditions. An unusually warm winter to date means many waterways are not as frozen as they typically would be at this time of year. In many areas of the province, there hasn’t been a prolonged period of below-zero temperatures to permit sufficient freezing, and even those areas that appear frozen aren’t necessarily stable. First responders have been called to help when people and pets have ventured onto unsafe ice in several areas of the province this winter season.

Always stay a safe distance from riverbanks and fast-flowing water.

For more information about water safety, please visit: www.opg.com/watersafety.

• OPG operates 66 hydroelectric stations and 240 dams on 24 Ontario river systems.
• Despite continued warnings, some people disregard our signs and barriers, putting themselves and first responders at risk.

“If you’re spending time outside this Family Day weekend, please ensure that you and your family stay clear of any waterways,” said Paul Seguin, OPG Senior Vice President, Renewable Generation. “The warning signs and barriers around our facilities are there for a reason, and that reason is safety.”

“Practicing water safety not only protects you but also our first responders,” said Rob Grimwood, OAFC President & Deputy Chief Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services. “While first responders, including firefighters, train for ice rescues, having to assist someone who has gone into the cold water is difficult and dangerous. Be sure to use common sense in these areas, so that everyone can go home and enjoy time with their family.”

The post Keep Your Family Safe, Stay Clear Of Waterways appeared first on Muskoka411.

Drowning deaths and near-drownings are preventable when caregivers are informed and take the essential steps to avoid injury. This year, during National Drowning Prevention Week (July 16–22), the Lifesaving Society is launching a new campaign to teach parents how to be Water Smart. The Water Smart Parents campaign aims to empower parents and others responsible for children to have fun and make memories while being safe around water.

“Our goal this National Drowning Prevention Week is to create safer, happier families,” says Lifesaving Society Ontario’s Corporate Communications Manager Stephanie Bakalar. “We want to give parents real-world advice and tools they can use to be safe around water – anytime, anywhere.”

The newly launched website watersmartparents.ca provides:

• A quiz for parents to test how much they know about being Water Smart
• Specific, actionable safety advice that anyone can use to keep their family safe – anytime and anywhere – including:
  • Water sports activities such as waterskiing, tubing and windsurfing
  • Vacation tips at the cottage or at a pool party
  • Seasonal advice based on weather conditions

Advice for parents from our partners

To raise awareness and provide expert advice in a variety of areas, the Lifesaving Society has partnered with the following organizations:

• Ontario Provincial Police
• Toronto Police Marine Unit
• MADD Canada
• Parachute Canada
• City of Toronto
• Lifesaving Society affiliates and supporters

See advice from the Lifesaving Society’s partners below.

Ontario Provincial Police

“When enjoying the lakes and rivers of Ontario, expect the unexpected. No matter what your age, your swimming ability, or your proximity from shore, always wear a lifejacket when out on the water. It could save your life,” says OPP Sgt. Dave Moffatt.

Canadian Safe Boating Council

“The whole family needs to be prepared for any unexpected situation when they go boating, including wearing properly fitted lifejackets for all family members and ensuring that their boat has all the required safety gear and sufficient fuel,” says Barbara Byers, spokesperson for the Canadian Safe Boating Council (CSBC).

MADD Canada

“Impaired boating IS impaired driving,” says MADD Canada National President Jaymie-Lyne Hancock. “It is just as dangerous and illegal as driving a car impaired, and it can result in the same charges, fines and penalties. Even worse, you could hurt yourself or someone else. Let’s keep lakes and waterways safe this summer by putting the alcohol or cannabis away until you’re docked for the day.”

Parachute Canada

“Play and activity is important for children, including swimming, but children don’t often understand the dangers of water. We recommend layers of protection: supervision, wearing a life jacket/PFD in and around water, restricting access by a four-sided pool fence with a self-closing and latching gate, swimming lessons for both parents and kids, and training for parents in CPR/first aid,” says Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO of Parachute, Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention. “We cover this and more in a recent episode from our podcast Popping the Bubble Wrap, Water Safety? Don’t Wing It!”

Visit watersmartparents.ca to learn more.

The post Parents Learn To Be Water Smart During National Drowning Prevention Week appeared first on Muskoka411.

Please stay tuned to OPP social media accounts this week as they will be posting videos each day in support of drowning prevention awareness week. The OPP is reminding all boaters, and anyone heading out on the waterways, to always wear a PFD when out on the water.

“A life jacket stored somewhere on a boat will not help you if you somehow fall into the water or get knocked out of your boat,” said Sgt. Dave Moffatt, Provincial Marine Coordinator for the OPP. “Safety is paramount when it comes to recreational activities on the water, and the proper wearing of a PFD at all times will enhance surviving an unfortunate incident that may occur. Essentially, expect the unexpected and be prepared.”

In 2023, 11 lives have been lost on OPP-patrolled waterways. Over the past 13 years, 300 lives have been lost on OPP-patrolled waterways, with 256 (88 per cent) of the incidents involving the individual not wearing a PFD.

Marine officers within the OPP Central Region take water safety very seriously and stop vessels daily, to ensure that the necessary equipment is onboard. The law with regards to PFDs is simple: for every person on a boat, there must be a PFD. Failure to do so can result in a fine which starts at $200. Please review the Canada Shipping Act of 2001 for more valuable information.

If you go out onto the water, please wear a PFD at all times, as this could make a difference in your safe return to shore should you encounter a problem on the water. Enjoy your summer, and be safe!

For more information, check out the Transport Canada Safe Boating Guide.

The post OPP Provide Water Safety Tips For National Drowning Prevention Week appeared first on Muskoka411.

No matter the time of year, areas surrounding OPG’s hydroelectric facilities are not safe for recreational use. This is especially so in spring as melting caused by warmer weather and seasonal rain can result in higher-than-usual fast-moving water. Remaining ice may appear safe but changing temperatures can weaken it in unpredictable ways. Extremely cold water temperatures at this time of year add to the danger.

“March Break is a great time to get out and have some outdoor fun, but spring ice and water can pose some unique dangers,” said Paul Seguin, OPG Senior Vice President, Renewable Generation. “Please ensure you keep family members – including pets – safe by following posted signs and heeding barriers around OPG’s hydroelectric facilities.”

Please stay away from water above and below hydro facilities and obey all warning signs and barriers.

For more information about water safety, please visit: www.opg.com/watersafety

• OPG operates 66 hydroelectric stations and 241 dams on 24 Ontario river systems.
• Despite continued warnings, some people disregard our signs and barriers, putting themselves and first responders at risk.
• OPG works with Ontario Provincial Police to enforce these warnings and police could lay charges.

The post Spring Ice And Water Can Be Dangerous appeared first on Muskoka411.

With recent mild weather and forecasted daytime temperatures in the 5°C to 15°C range over the next week, water levels and river flows are expected to remain elevated.

Residents are reminded to keep a close watch on conditions and regularly check for updated messages.

With rain, warmer temperatures and melting snow, banks and shorelines adjacent to water bodies can be extremely slippery and unstable. Remaining ice on local waterbodies is not safe. Residents and visitors should exercise caution while around waterbodies and maintain close supervision of children and pets.

NDMNRF also advises extreme caution when using forest access roads for outdoor activities as they may become seasonally inundated with water, are prone to washouts and may become impassible due to localized flooding.

Up to 18 mm of rain and 1 cm of snow is forecasted over the next seven days across the Parry Sound and Muskoka area. Daytime highs over the next week are forecast to range between 4°C and 15°C while nighttime lows range between +9°C and -3°C in the area.

Water levels in managed lakes are within their seasonal operating range for this time of year. The most recent snowpack reading from April 1 showed below average snowpack for this time of year. Most of the snowpack in the Muskoka and Parry Sound area has now melted.

The forecast warm weather, limited rain and a melting snowpack will result in runoff that will cause lake levels and river flows to remain elevated. Flooding is not anticipated at this time.

NDMNRF is closely monitoring the weather and developing watershed conditions. Further updates will be issued as appropriate.

To see information on Surface Water Monitoring, visit ontario.ca/flooding.

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The mission of Lifesaving Society Canada is to prevent drowning – even one drowning is one too many. Over 400 people fatally drown annually in Canada, making it the second leading cause of unintentional death for children and the third leading cause of unintentional death for adults. In particular, Indigenous, northern and new Canadians have a disproportionately high mortality burden. In fact, the drowning burden is so great around the world that the United Nations General Assembly passed the UN Resolution on Drowning Prevention (A/75/L.76) and named July 25 of each year as World Drowning Prevention Day.

During the week of July 18 to 24, the Lifesaving Society of Canada will be educating and promoting safety awareness in, on and around the water.

Statistics show that almost 70 per cent of drowning fatalities never intended to go into the water and were often within 15 metres of safety. Nearly every Canadian has known someone who has drowned or had a non-fatal drowning experience, whether personally or from his or her community.

To help reduce drowning, all Canadians are encouraged to:

• Learn the Lifesaving Society Swim to Survive standard (teaches how to survive an unexpected fall into the water) and participate in a learn-to-swim program.
• Wear a properly fitted lifejacket when out on a boat or doing other water activities.
• Refrain from drinking alcoholic beverages while participating in aquatic activities.
• Ensure that children are under the direct supervision of an adult when around barrier-free bodies of water.
• Practice proper Boating Safety. Choose it. Use it. Always wear a lifejacket when in a boat.

The majority of drownings are preventable in a Water Smart community. For more information on drowning prevention and water safety, visit the Lifesaving Society’s website.

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Held in the third week of July, National Drowning Prevention Week is an annual campaign by the Lifesaving Society, a charity that aims to increase public education surrounding water safety and drowning prevention. Barbara Byers, public education director and research director for Lifesaving Society Ontario, said it’s important to consider safety measures amid the summer excitement, whether you’re in a boat, at the beach or simply in a backyard pool. Byers wants Canadians to understand how common drownings are, with around 400 drowning deaths occurring across the country each year and about 150 to 160 of those deaths happening in Ontario.

“Almost all of those drownings are preventable,” Byers said. “Drowning is the second leading cause of preventable death for children under the age of 10, after automobile collisions, and the third leading cause for adults, so it is a big issue in Canada.”

Most people who drown in Ontario do so while swimming followed next by boating and then by non-aquatic activities where someone inadvertently falls in the water. About two thirds of all drownings occur in lakes, rivers and ponds and the majority of people who drown are men. It used to be that the primary age group for drowning deaths was 20 to 34, but over time, Byers said they’ve seen a shift, with ages 65 and over having the highest drowning rate, followed by ages 50 to 64.

While different age groups have different risk factors, one thing most drownings have in common is the absence of a life jacket. People often think they can keep their life jacket nearby and forego wearing it “until they need it,” Byers said, but the incidents where drownings occur happen suddenly, leaving little to no opportunity to locate the life jacket, pick it up and put it on before entering the water. 

“It’s just a split second situation, so if you don’t have the lifejacket on, you’re not likely to have it once you hit the water, and choosing to dive in the water and having a swim is a whole different experience than being thrown in the water when you don’t expect it,” she said. “In addition to not having your life jacket on, you may go under the water and get a mouth full of water and unfortunately, you could drown very quickly.”

The society recommends that Canadians pick a life jacket and make it part of their routine, just like a seatbelt in the car. For children in particular, it’s essential to make sure they have a government-approved life jacket rather than water wings or other floatation devices that are designed for fun over safety. The society also strongly recommends putting life jackets on kids that don’t know how to swim, even when they’re building sandcastles or doing other activities near the water.

“I know many friends of mine who have cottages had a rule that the children could not leave the deck of the cottage without a life jacket on, even if they’re playing on the swings or playing out in front of the cottage and [don’t] have their bathing suits on,” she said. “It’s so easy for them to be tempted and drawn to the water, so a life jacket should be part of the whole safety plan at a cottage or a campsite as an extra layer of protection.”

Because children have such a “magnetic attraction” to the water, Byers said it’s important that parents control and restrict their children’s access to water and ensure they’re safe when near the water. To that end, it’s essential to maintain a dedicated, 100 per cent focus on any child who’s swimming or playing in a pool or lake. Byers urges parents to put their phones down and wait until everyone is out of the water to shift their focus to other tasks like applying sunscreen or preparing lunch.

“It’s really important to know that drowning is quiet and it’s fast,” Byers said. “A person can drown in 20 seconds and it’s silent, so unlike movies where you may see someone with their arms out in the water saying, ‘Help, I’m drowning, I’m drowning!’, that’s Hollywood, that’s not reality, and when a person is in a drowning situation, their airway fills with water, which means they can’t speak.”

While there are many steps parents can take to help their children stay safe, one of the most valuable things parents can do is enroll their kids in swimming lessons. Moreover, Byers strongly encourages all Canadians to learn how to swim. It’s never too late to learn, and being able to swim could mean the difference between a leisurely summer day and the loss of a life.

“Learning to swim is a key strategy to preventing drowning and it kind of acts as an immunization or a vaccine against drowning,” Byers said. “It’s not a guarantee that you won’t drown, but if you are a strong swimmer and if your children are strong swimmers, it gives them an added advantage to be safe around the water.”

For more information about water safety and drowning prevention, visit the Lifesaving Society and Lifesaving Society Ontario online. To learn more about boating safety, visit the STARTboating website.

The post Lifesaving Society Urges Canadians To Remember Water Safety During National Drowning Prevention Week appeared first on Muskoka411.

As you all know, tourism is ever increasing in the area. This is a good thing for the local economy – merchants, resort owners, restaurants, service providers and the list goes on and on. The area is an awesome place for vacation and relaxation and should be promoted. Unfortunately, with the increased seasonal population up here, there is bad that comes with the good.

We have noticed that in the last few years the traffic on the river has increased. Again, this is a good thing. Majority of boaters that come up the river adhere to speed limits and are courteous. The one problem that the increased traffic on the river has also brought are jet skiers. Majority of them have no regard for the posted speed limit signs or any regard to the preservation of the river. I am no prude and, actually, I am bit of speed demon myself. I understand when you are 20 something years old, sitting on your jet ski on vacation, it’s a beautiful sunny day, the water is the right temperature and in your mind, you see the river as an awesome race track with it’s windy curves and the idea of taking that machine full throttle gets the blood pumping. I get it. The problem is that this mindset has caused some near misses. The most recent one involving my adult children.

This incident occurred on July 4, 2020. We watched 8 or 9 of them speed up the river. We heard them at Marsh’s Falls and, knowing they were going to turn around to head back to the lake, my daughter got into the canoe and was determined to ask the to slow down on the way back. My son grabbed his GoPro and hopped into our paddle boat to try and catch some footage. Of course, on their way back, my daughter was yelling to slow down, but all she got were either rude gestures or one jet skier in particular almost ran her over. It was very disturbing to say the least. This incident is what broke the straw for me to write. I know you’re all thinking, “Well it’s not the first incident and not the last.” Unfortunately, you are correct. I did call the OPP communications line on that day to report the incident, but I told them not to bother sending anyone over as they were gone and we had no other solid information we could offer them.

My family and I are convinced that there will eventually be a tragedy on this river. On the July 1 holiday, we took a cruise down the river on our own boat. It was a beautiful day and it was a busy day on the river. When we rounded one of the many blind corners we came across a family (approximately 8 to 9 people with children) with 3 canoes. They had stopped on one of the many sandy banks for a break and a swim. Everyone was frolicking in the water. This particular area they were in has blind corners approximately 30 feet each way from where they were swimming. If a group of jet skiers (or even one) comes down the river at full throttle, there is no way they would be able to stop or clear them in time. It’s a disaster waiting to happen.

I also understand that the OPP does not have the funds to constantly be monitoring activity on the river. I remember as a teenager (approximately 40 years ago) we would witness OPP Marine Units on the lake and river several times over the summer monitoring the area, especially on long weekends. In the last few years, we are lucky to see them once a year. The last time was on a rainy Saturday when there was truly no one on the river. Again, I get it. They were booked to go that day and it happened to be a rainy day. Bad luck, Murphy’s law – whatever the case, it was a waste of time and money for those officers.

I see a few solutions that perhaps could be considered:

1. Increased OPP presence on the river – perhaps not viable from a financial perspective.
2. Increase in signage posted on the river – the government posted signs are not enough and do not do the river justice. The sign posted at the mouth of the river by the Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation is great, and I would certainly entertain the idea of putting one on our property.
3. Banning jet skiers from the river – I understand that monitoring this would be a nightmare.
4. Entering into some dialogue with the company who rents jet skis in Dwight (and other locations) to inform their customers of what is expected of them if they decide to cruise the river.

I truly hope that something can be done to ensure everyone’s safety before we see a tragedy.

Best regards,
Tilly Varga

The opinions of the writer of the above letter does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Muskoka411.

The post Letter To The Editor: Resident Warns Of Disaster Waiting To Happen On Oxtongue River appeared first on Muskoka411.

The water safety statement indicates that high flows, melting ice or other factors could be dangerous for such users as boaters, anglers and swimmers but flooding is not expected.

Residents within the Parry Sound-Muskoka area on Georgian Bay should keep a close watch on conditions, regularly check for updated messages and exercise caution around the shoreline as water levels are expected to remain high through the coming weeks and months. Any storm surge and waves from wind and storm events is expected to worsen shoreline conditions as those events occur.

Heightened risks, while water levels remain at or above their current level, include shoreline flooding, beach submersion, crawl space and septic system inundation, and wave-driven erosion along some reaches of the shoreline. Residents may wish to consider taking action to ensure their sump pumps are working properly and to secure or protect any property in flood-prone or vulnerable areas.

Banks and shorelines adjacent to water bodies may be slippery and unstable and water temperatures remain very cold. Residents and visitors should exercise caution while around water bodies and maintain close supervision of children and pets.

The ministry is closely monitoring the weather and developing watershed conditions. Further updates will be issued as appropriate.

Forecasts by the National Hydrologic Services indicate that Lake Huron / Georgian Bay’s level will likely exceed historical monthly mean water levels for at least the next four months. This message will be updated as significant wind or storm events are forecast, that may result in higher water levels and shoreline impacts due to storm surge and waves. The National Hydrological Services Great Lakes Water Levels Information Memorandum from May 4, 2020 reports that:

• Water levels of all the Great Lakes remain near or above record highs, with the exception of Lake Ontario, which remains well above average.
• Lake Michigan-Huron’s April monthly mean level was 91 cm above average last month,
  34 cm higher than last year, the highest April mean level on record and 7 cm above the
  previous record high of 1986
• Lake Michigan-Huron rose 6 cm in April, less than its average rise of 11 cm.
• Lake Michigan-Huron’s beginning-of-May level was 90 cm above average, 26 cm higher than last year, the highest on record and 9 cm higher than the previous record high set in 1986.
• Assuming average water supply conditions, Lake Michigan-Huron is expected to rise in May
• For more information, refer the Canadian Hydrographic Service’s Tides and Level
  Forecasts: Recent and Forecast Water Levels page.

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